Glass Art Studio

	The Glass Studio forms part of the Fine Arts College of Shanghai University. Established in November 2000, it was the first glass art studio of any Chinese university. The director of the studio, glass artist Zhuang Xiaowei, studied glass art at the United Kingdom's University of Wolverhampton, which remains a close technical collaborator. The studio supports a passionate educational environment in which the students study together and collaborate in all matters relating to studio life. Students in the program are carefully selected based on their individuality and creativity. Productive debate is respected and encouraged. Under the guidance of the instructor, the graduate student has both the freedom and the duty to explore the dialectic in their thinking and art creation. The studio is energetic and the course is intensive, including scientific investigation, critical thinking, professional seminars, artist interviews and research. All the equipment in the studio is at the students’ disposition, with the professor and other teachers offering professional technical direction. The students are encouraged to try a variety of glassmaking techniques as part of the learning process. Free debate is encouraged and adds to the intensity of the studio experience. Students are also supported in showing their work and presenting their ideas during group discussions. The studio focuses primarily on graduate student education but is also open to undergraduate students. The studio welcomes students from foreign countries such as the USA, Canada, Portugal and Taiwan. In addition, the studio receives visiting teachers and graduate students from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, the FineArtsSchool of TsinghuaUniversity and the FineArts College of China. We provide the most up to date visual and literary information on contemporary developments and our database includes some 2,800 pictures and over 10,000 texts. The studio also engages in meaningful cultural contribution. Works from the studio have, time and again, been selected as gifts for presidents and international institutions.For example, the piece 'Wind–Originating from Water' was presented as a gift to Mr. Dong Jianhua, President of HKSAR by the State Political Consultative Conference (2003). The work ‘DonghaiBridge: Crystal Glass and Rock Core' was given to ex-president Jiang Zemin by the Shanghai Municipal Government (2004). The work'Cong-a Chinese Jade' was a gift used at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit (2006).Additionally, the glass art of graduates has received the Cooper Award at the Fine Arts Exhibition of China (2004), the 1st, 2nd, and 4th Awards in the China Glass Art Competition (2004), the University Award (2006, 2007, 2008) at the Modern Hand Crafted Art Exhibition and the Special Prize at the International Industry EXPO of China. Although our space is limited, the studio has had international impact. Our work appears in the National Museums of Scotland (2007) collection. We have, for the past two years (2006-2007), participated in the American SOFA International Exhibition, the world's most important Art and Design Exhibition held twice yearly in New York and Chicago.Our work also appears in the collection of the Alexander Tutsek- Stiftung Art Fund Institute in Munich (2008), which is the main sponsor of the European Institute of Glass Art. As a member of the glass studio,you will find the space just right for work and for your imagination to flourish. The outstanding works you and your colleagues create will surprise you. Your work will be inspired by the past and motivated towards the future. The studio is open every day, including weekends, from 8am to 10pm, giving students the opportunity to work at their convenience. The studio is compact and highly efficient and the quality and integrity of one's personal education depends on their enthusiasm and devotion to the creative process.

The Glass Studio forms part of the Fine Arts College of Shanghai University. Established in November 2000, it was the first glass art studio of any Chinese university. The director of the studio, glass artist Zhuang Xiaowei, studied glass art at the United Kingdom's University of Wolverhampton, which remains a close technical collaborator.

The studio supports a passionate educational environment in which the students study together and collaborate in all matters relating to studio life. Students in the program are carefully selected based on their individuality and creativity. Productive debate is respected and encouraged. Under the guidance of the instructor, the graduate student has both the freedom and the duty to explore the dialectic in their thinking and art creation. The studio is energetic and the course is intensive, including scientific investigation, critical thinking, professional seminars, artist interviews and research.

All the equipment in the studio is at the students’ disposition, with the professor and other teachers offering professional technical direction. The students are encouraged to try a variety of glassmaking techniques as part of the learning process. Free debate is encouraged and adds to the intensity of the studio experience. Students are also supported in showing their work and presenting their ideas during group discussions.

The studio focuses primarily on graduate student education but is also open to undergraduate students. The studio welcomes students from foreign countries such as the USA, Canada, Portugal and Taiwan. In addition, the studio receives visiting teachers and graduate students from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, the FineArtsSchool of TsinghuaUniversity and the FineArts College of China. We provide the most up to date visual and literary information on contemporary developments and our database includes some 2,800 pictures and over 10,000 texts.

The studio also engages in meaningful cultural contribution. Works from the studio have, time and again, been selected as gifts for presidents and international institutions.For example, the piece 'Wind–Originating from Water' was presented as a gift to Mr. Dong Jianhua, President of HKSAR by the State Political Consultative Conference (2003). The work ‘DonghaiBridge: Crystal Glass and Rock Core' was given to ex-president Jiang Zemin by the Shanghai Municipal Government (2004). The work'Cong-a Chinese Jade' was a gift used at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit (2006).Additionally, the glass art of graduates has received the Cooper Award at the Fine Arts Exhibition of China (2004), the 1st, 2nd, and 4th Awards in the China Glass Art Competition (2004), the University Award (2006, 2007, 2008) at the Modern Hand Crafted Art Exhibition and the Special Prize at the International Industry EXPO of China.

Although our space is limited, the studio has had international impact. Our work appears in the National Museums of Scotland (2007) collection. We have, for the past two years (2006-2007), participated in the American SOFA International Exhibition, the world's most important Art and Design Exhibition held twice yearly in New York and Chicago.Our work also appears in the collection of the Alexander Tutsek- Stiftung Art Fund Institute in Munich (2008), which is the main sponsor of the European Institute of Glass Art.

As a member of the glass studio,you will find the space just right for work and for your imagination to flourish. The outstanding works you and your colleagues create will surprise you. Your work will be inspired by the past and motivated towards the future.

The studio is open every day, including weekends, from 8am to 10pm, giving students the opportunity to work at their convenience. The studio is compact and highly efficient and the quality and integrity of one's personal education depends on their enthusiasm and devotion to the creative process.